Food and Culture Individual Country Project Lab Report

Food and Culture Individual Country Project - Lab Report Example which took place between Mexico and the US, which took place between 1846 and 1848, in which the US was attempting to take control over independent Texas. In the end, the US army defeated the Mexican leading to the signing of the peace treaty between Texas, New Mexico and California in which Mexico lost its land by almost a half. The events that took place in Mexico right from independence fostered the economic, political and social assimilation of different social groups contained by the nation and made the state and nation building stronger. The most relevant civil wars that took place that made a lot of significance in Mexican history are the Mexican Revolution that took place in 1910. The war led to an estimated loss of life of about one million Mexicans. The war ultimately ended with the formation of the new constitution at the beginning 1917, but it still lasted a few decades before peace to finally set in the nation. The reconstruction after the revolution affected all aspects of the society and gave a totally new significance to the nation. Put simply, the Mexican culture simply stands out from other cultures. The differences and variations that one can find in Mexico can be incomprehensible. Mexican people are generally renowned for their artistic and creative nature. In addition, they take such pride when it comes to culinary matters. It is not strange to find people in a hot debate about food. It is what defines them as a culture. The dances are also unique to the nation only, although most modern societies are adopting them and changing them in one way or another (Sanchez, 28). Unlike their neighbors, the dominant language in Mexico is Spanish, which can be said to be as a consequence of being colonized by Spain. Mexico possesses a comprehensive and refined culinary culture, with a vast variety of local dishes. However, there are three main common dishes that constitute the heart of most Mexican foods: beans, corn and hot peppers or as commonly

Oil And Gas Industry Essay Example for Free

Oil And Gas Industry Essay Petroleum in one form or other has always been the most useful natural resource of man. More than four thousand years ago, Herodotus, a Greek historian of 5th century B. C. E and Diodrus Siculus, a historian of Agyrim Sicily in C A 90 B C– C A 30 B C discovered that Babylon were using Asphalt black substance found in Petroleum during the construction of the walls and towers of Babylon. In 1410 AD, native Americans were harvesting the oil for medicinal purposes. It was in 1859, in the quite farm country of North Western Pennsylvania that the drilling of the first most important crucial oil well took place. This well began to be known as the Drake Well after the name of Colonel Edwin Drake, the man who gave the idea of drilling the well for commercial use. This was the first phase of the history of Oil Industry, which gave new lease to our lives. (The Paleontological Research Institution, The History of Oil) Today, the Oil and Gas Industry has touched every sphere of our lives. It is the most depleted and yet the most used natural resource by the economies all around the world. With the increase in new explorations and technological developments, the natural oil and gas production is increasing at the rate of two billion cubic feet a day, and currently Devon Energy is one of the largest and independent oil and gas producers in the United States. Based in Oklahoma City, it is supplying three percent of the gas consumed in North America and producing 600,000 barrels of oil a day. The company is also drilling more than 2000 oil wells every year in North America in an area stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the northernmost reaches of Canada. (O G Next Generation Oil and Gas, 2007) There are many unpredictable reasons, like over all economic growth, continuous development in technology, change in energy prices, change in weather patterns and public policy decisions which led to the changes in the levels of production and in demand and supply. According to Energy Information Administration projections from 2007 to 2030, the total production of domestic liquid embracing crude oil, natural gas plant liquids, refinery processing gains and other refinery inputs, is expected to see a tremendous increase. The reason behind the increase is the growth in refinery processing and other refinery inputs. It is projected that this growth will compensate any predicted reduction in crude oil production after 2017. This increase in the production owes to some extent to the high tech oil recovery methods, the increase in the production in the deep waters in Gulf of Mexico, higher resource assumptions for the Bakken Shale formation in the Williston Basin. (Energy Information Administration, 2007) As per the AEO2007 reference case, the total domestic natural gas production including the supply of supplement natural gas reflects an increase from 18. 3 trillion cubic feet in 2005 to 21. trillion cubic feet in 2022. (Energy Information Administration, 2007) This clearly shows that in-spite of the factors that have led to the increase in the energy prices since 2000, the growing influence of developing countries on world-wide energy requirements, enactment of legislation and regulations in the United States, the rising need for the alternative source of energy and the need for the energy technologies did not hamper the growth of Oil and Gas Industry. United States of America is one of the largest economies in the world with the per capita Gross Domestic Product to be $43,500. The Central Intelligence Agency, 2007). The economy of America depends on the crude oil for fuels to be used in the transportation purpose. Seeing the current economic scenario and increase in the demand for the fuel, the demand for the light oil production all over the world is expected to increase and will reach to the point where supply of the oil will going to be far less than the demand. This will result in the imbalance in the supply and increase in the price of oil and fuel especially for military and strategic purposes. More than 60 per cent of the fuel requirements of United States of America is met by imports and at this current state of affairs, United States of America have to bear the cost at price level of $55/Bbl could be increased twice, from 9. 9 MM Bbl/d to nearly 20 MM Bbls/dby2025. (Online Edition) As the imports will increase, there is every possibility that America could face price shocks, supply disruptions, and fuels shortages. According to the EIA/AEO estimates, the average import price of oil from 2005 to 2020 could make United State Gross Domestic product to reduce by more than $ 1. 1 trillion. The department of Energy and the honorable President of America suggested that the need of the hour is to rely on the domestic sources for the increase in the liquid supplies. (Online Edition) And the best source is the production of Shale Oils; converted into liquid fuels, provide fuel for the transportation of military and civilian purposes. Currently the Oil shale resources can be found in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah and hope is on the anvil that with the efforts of the Government, industry and other stakeholders, the oil shale production can reach 2 MM Bbl/D by 2020. The prices of the Crude Oil which have been showing an increase since last two months is expected to reach at the pinnacle of its monthly average price in August. The RAC of crude oil in 2007 is estimated at the rate of 64. 86 per barrel as compared to $ 60. 23 per barrel in 2006 and in 2008 is expected to be 68. 75 per barrel. This increase is due to the tight world oil supply and demand balance. 2007 can witness the increase in the total gas consumption by 4 percent and the LNG imports can go up to 850 bcf, which would be a record in upper scale. This is clear from the fact that despite the increase in the demand of bio-fuels and other non-hydroelectric renewable energy sources and subsequently the construction of new nuclear power plants, the Oil and Gas Industry is expected to supply same 86-percent share of the total U. S. primary energy in 2030, which they were giving in 2005 Year after year, there has been very less growth in retail sales to just 3. 2% year in April whereas there has been increase in the gas stations. Because of the growth of wholesale energy prices to 3. 4 per cent, the Producer Price Index (PPI) increased to 0. % in April. Due to the increase in oil prices and stable demand, there was a trade deficit by $6 billion. (Pod cast Directory, 2007). According to Chicago Fed’s annual Automotive Outlook Symposium, the economic growth in 2007 is seen to be slower than in 2006, with inflation and the unemployment rate increased. The prices of the Energy also increased in the middle months of 2006, but after that they fell, at an average of $60 per barrel in the fourth quarter. This led to the increase in inflation by 1. 9 per cent as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is less than 3. per cent than previous year. (Strauss Engel, 2007) This phrase â€Å"Oil flows the Nation grows† is evidently true when it comes to Oil and Gas. The increase in the price of Oil also increases the over all Consumer Price Index, especially in September 2005, which was 1. 2 per cent, highest in 25 years. The increase in imports of energy increases the trade deficit, on the average the increase in oil prices to 10 per cent leads to 150,000 Americans to lose their jobs, and over and above we have to loose between $80 billion and $160 billion in economic growth. In September 2005, it was estimated that 40 percent increase in gas prices reduced the total domestic consumption by 0. 4 percent and the GDP fell to an estimated 0. 9 percent. In fact even the Consumer spending was reduced. But there is an increase in the profits among the major players in Oil and Industry. Only in the beginning of 2005, the five largest oil companies were making profits of $52. 2 billion, which was less in 2004, only $39. 5 billion. (Democrats Policy Committee, 2005). The study on the impact of Oil Price by An International Energy Agency in 2004 revealed that the repercussions of the high prices on economy will be minimum and this proves to be as High oil prices became most important macro economic variable. It is apparently quite clear that with the new technologies are in the offing, the Oil and gas Industry will strike more. The earnings from the Industry are being invested in new technology, new production, and environmental and product quality improvements to meet the requirements of Generation next. According the Oil Gas Journal estimates, the Industry spends $85. 7 billion in 2005, whereas in 2004 it spend just $80. 7 billion in 2004 and in 2003 $75. 5 billion. (Cavaney, 2006). The threat to the Oil Industry is from the alternative sources of energy like bio fuels and other non-hydroelectric renewable energy sources and subsequently the construction of new nuclear power plants, yet the Oil and Gas Industry is expected to supply same 86-percent share of the total U.  S. primary energy in 2030, which they were giving in 2005. (Energy Information Administration, 2007). As the study above reveals that though the production of oil and gas is on the increase but it is not able to meet the demand and to maintain a balance between the demand and supply, The Government and Energy department is taking initiative to increase in the Shale Oils for liquid fuels.

Background Of Apple Inc Commerce Essay

Background Of Apple Inc Commerce Essay Apple Inc. is a company that designs, manufactures and markets mobile communication and media devices, personal computers, and portable digital music players. Apple Inc. also sells a variety of related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, third-party digital content and applications. The company sells products and services such as iPhone , iPad , Mac , iPod , Apple TV , a portfolio of consumer and professional software applications, the iOS and Mac OS X operating systems, iCloud , and a variety of accessory, service and support offerings. Furthermore, the company also sells and delivers digital content and applications through online stores the iTunes Store, App Store, iBookstore, and Mac App Store. The company sells its products globally through its retail stores, online stores, direct sales force, through third-party cellular network carriers, wholesalers, retailers, and value-added resellers. Not only that, the company sells a variety of third-party iPhone, iPad, Mac and iPod compatible products. The companys target market is end user consumers, small and mid-sized businesses (SMB), and education, enterprise and government customers. Steve Jobs, Ron Wayne and Steve Wozniak were the founder of Apple Inc. In 1976, they invented the first Apple computer which consists of not only circuit board with costs under $700 in Palo Alto, California. They improved the first Apple computer by adding one-megahertz processor and named Apple II became first mass-produced computer in year 1977.Apple officially became a public traded company in 1980. Apple Inc. continued developing a better computer in later years and the first personal computer with feature which has a mouse for navigating and desktop icons and folders called Lisa but this product unable to stay in the market due to high cost of production. On 2007, Apple had kicked off the era of the touch screen smartphone with the invention of first iPhone. This innovation has made a huge change in the smartphone market because it caught the attention of the consumers. On 2010, again Apple unveiled the iPad tablet computer and Apple has passed Microsoft as the largest US technology company in term of market value in May. On 2011, the co-founder Steve Jobs announced his resignation as Chief executive Officer of Apple due to health problem and the Chief Operating Officer, Timothy D. Cook took over his place as the new Chief Executive Officer of Apple. In 2012 September, Apple has introduced its new iPhone 5 which is the lighter, thinner and more powerful of its mobile devices. This new product captured the attention of the whole world by getting a pre-order of 2 million and it is twice than the previous iPhone 4S. Planning Apple is committed to to bring the best personal computing experience to different groups of people like students educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware, software and Internet offering.Retrieved from Apple, 2009 Annual Report. Apple Inc. is in a competitive and fast-paced business environment. Everything might change even in the next second. Therefore, it is important for Apple Inc. to be ahead of its competitors. In order to provide the best technology experience to customers, employees are given the freedom to improve products if they found any issues after they used product. Employees do not need to go under procedures that will consume a lot of times. The issues of the product might be the weakness of the company if it is not improve or solve. Apple Inc. plan to build brand loyalty in customers. The mission in Apple Store is to educate and build loyalty in customers. Apple Inc. believed that educates customers are important to build customer loyalty. Therefore, free workshops are offered to people with different level of experience to know more about their new Apple products. Basics of Apples product can be learnt in the workshop. Experiences are shared by those who really understand Apple products to the attendees of the workshop. A One-to-one training program is also offered to customers who have bought a new Mac. In the program, there are three types of training choices, which are personal training, group training and open training. If customers are having a technical problem of their Apple products, they may seek help from Genius Bar where geniuses are available there. The expertise of the geniuses can help customers to troubleshoot the problem of their Apple products. In 1990s, Apple Inc. began to concern about the environment. Efforts are made to minimize the impact of Apple products have on the environment. Chemicals were phased out in producing Apples products. Apple Inc. came out with mercury-free backlit display of Macbook Pro, bromine-free printed circuit board laminates, and more. In 2002, Apple Inc. achieved a recycling rate of 41.9% based on the percentage of weight from the 2002 sales. The introduction of Apple Battery Charger can help reduce the battery waste by 78%. Apple has introduced many application programmes like iTunes, Apps Store, iCloud, iBookstore, Newsstand and more. The introduction of these application programmes had reduced the traditional usage of CDs, DVDs as storage devices for multimedia; Papers for production of literary works. Apple Inc. does not play featured games with its competitors. Instead, Apple Inc. is more focused on its own business than its competitors. For the engineers of Apple Inc., their mission is to come out with great innovative products. The engineers of Apple Inc. are driven to innovation. They are encouraged to come out with products that can challenge the status quo. Organizing Apple Executive Team The organizational chart above clearly showed that Apple Inc. is a functional organizational structure which grouping employees by similar or related occupational specialties. Group employees by similar specialties can make them comfortable and satisfied because it gives them the opportunity to speak in the same language as their peers. The organizational chart also showed that all of the senior vice presidents are directly reporting to the CEO of the company, Tim Cook, because of the wide span of control of the company. Apple Inc. is operating under organic organization structure that has highly adaptive, loose and flexible, which allows company to change rapidly as required. Employees in the company own the freedom to go in and improve the product if they found an issue that bothered them by without having to deal with layers of bureaucracy to get approval. This freedom can make Apple Inc. responds quickly to problems and improves their products faster. On the other hand, if businesses managed their money as carelessly as they manage their people, most would be bankrupt. Recently, Apple Inc. has provided training program for the new hiring employees to improve their ability to perform on the job, thus, training can change employees certain skills, knowledge, attitudes or behavior. After this training, the company can easily put the right people into the right jobs to avoid waste both human and financial capital. Since there is no longer ecosystem to support manufacturing in United States, Apple Inc. decided to manufacture its products in China and cooperate with the worlds largest maker of electronic components, Foxconn. The main reason of Apple Inc. manufactures products in China is the efficiency but not about the cost. Chinas workforce is much hungrier and more frugal compare with United States. Foxconn can recruit 3000 of workers overnight and China also provides engineers to set up the assembly lines in order to expand the production of iPhone. Furthermore, Apple Inc. does not allow the use of underage labor. Suppliers of the company must follow the minimum age for employment in that country, or the age of completing compulsory education in that particular country. The company will require suppliers to return underage labors to school and pay for the educational expenses, living allowances, and lost wages for 6 months or until the labor reaches 16 years old if the company found out that suppliers use underage labor. Leading Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple Inc. and the Chief Executive Officer of Apple Inc. before 24 August 2011. He graduated from Homestead High in Cupertino, California in 1972.After that, he attended Reed College but he just studied for one semester and he was dropped out. In 1976, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne founded Apple. In 1985, Steve Jobs got kicked out of Apple Inc. by John Sculley. In 1997, Steve Jobs has returned to Apple Inc. and started to lead the Apple Inc. The first task was to make the Apple Inc. more focus on what product should be produced. He told all his team members to focus on four great products, one for each quadrant. By getting Apple Inc. focus on just making four computers, he saved the Apple Inc. He said that Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do. He is also cut down all the unnecessary products, services, marketing, packaging and more. On the last day of each year, he will stand in front whiteboard and ask What are the ten things should be doing next? He likes to hear what is the employees idea on the Apple Inc products, so that they can create more new products to the market. Next, Steve Jobs always warn the employees to simplify the device and software because the first marketing brochure of Apple Inc. declared that simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. This simplification can create competitive advantages among the competitors because the competitors products are much more complicated to use. Steve Jobs simplicity came not by ignoring complexity but rather by conquering it. On the innovation, Steve Jobs did not merely to catch up the competitors but is to leapfrog over them. For example, Steve Jobs was mortified when he found that the slot drive of his iMac could not burn CDs. When facing this problem, Steve Jobs has come out a solution which is create the iTunes store and iPod to reinventing access to music. On 24 August 2011, Steve Jobs has left his position as Chief Executive Officer due to the health problem he faced and his position was took over by Timothy D. Cook who was the Chief Operating Officer of Apple Inc. Now, Timothy D. Cook is the Chief Executive Officer of Apple Inc. He studied MBA in Duke University, and he was also a Fuqua scholar and Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Engineering from Auburn University. Today, Apple Inc. has almost 73,000 employees is under the leadership of Timothy D. Cook. Since he took over Apple Inc., Tim Cook successfully steered the company through controversies at Foxconn factories overseas and the success of release the iPhone 5 and iPad mini. The iPhone 5 was released on 21 September 2012 and it achieved pre-order of 2 million over 24 hours and it was double the 1 million the iPhone 4S. Besides, Tim Cook has used his leadership style to change the company environment. For example, the Apple Inc become more corporate, putting more focus on operational efficiency while still striving to maintain the unique culture Steve Jobs forged as the Chief Executive Officer. Timothy D. Cook is much more approachable compare to Steve Jobs. He has no problem to meet with the investors and sometimes he will have meal with his employees which is rarely did by Steve Jobs. Controlling In controlling, the task of manager is to monitoring performance, evaluate how well the organization has achieved its goals and to take corrective actions as needed to maintain or improve performance. The ex-CEO of Apple Inc., Steve Jobs monitors the performance of Tim Cook, the ex-COO of Apple Inc. when he was still around. In Steve Jobss resignation letter, he has named Tim Cook as the next CEO of Apple Inc. This backup plan makes Apple Inc. able to cope with uncertainty. To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community: I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apples CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come. I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee. As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple. I believe Apples  brightest  and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role. I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you. Steve Retrieved from http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2011/08/24Letter-from-Steve-Jobs.html After the death of Steve Jobs, Apple Inc. hasnt release anything big and new. But it has built better iPhones and iPads. Apple Inc. announced that pre-order of its iPhone 5 topped 2 million in just 24 hours, and iPads sold 3 billion in 3 days. The quarterly profit of Apple Inc. climbed to $8.2 billion on revenue that rose to $36 billion on the backs of hot-selling iPhones and iPads. Within one year, Apple Inc. share increased and the companys value has almost doubled since Steve Jobs death. Apple Inc. manufacturers continually improve electronic technology so that company can offer more power in a smaller package. Apple continually offers smaller devices to the market before the competition. Macbook Air, the thinnest laptop on the market is the prime example of the product in the market. This idea introduced by Apple introduced idea before their competition, so they able to accomplish these feats in record time with streamline workflow processes and automation. Apple Inc. recently came out with Apple Supplier Responsibility 2012 Progress Report that details their effort to improve workers protection and factory condition. Apple Inc does not allow the use of underage labor, if workers had either left or reached legal working age by time of the audit, they will take immediate corrective action. On 28th September, 2012, the CEO of Apple Inc. Tim Cook has written an apologize letter on Apples website regarding with the Maps drama that been unfolding with the introduction of iOS 6. To our customers, At Apple, we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers. With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment. We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better. We launched Maps initially with the first version of iOS. As time progressed, we wanted to provide our customers with even better Maps including features such as turn-by-turn directions, voice integration, Flyover and vector-based maps. In order to do this, we had to create a new version of Maps from the ground up. There are already more than 100 million iOS devices using the new Apple Maps, with more and more joining us every day. In just over a week, iOS users with the new Maps have already searched for nearly half a billion locations. The more our customers use our Maps the better it will get and we greatly appreciate all of the feedback we have received from you. While were improving Maps, you can try alternatives by downloading map apps from the  App Store  like Bing, MapQuest and Waze, or use Google or Nokia maps by going to their websites and  creating an icon  on your home screen to their web app. Everything we do at Apple is aimed at making our products the best in the world. We know that you expect that from us, and we will keep working non-stop until Maps lives up to the same incredibly high standard. Tim Cook Apples CEO Retrieved from http://www.apple.com/letter-from-tim-cook-on-maps/ What make Apple Inc. success? Apple Inc. leads the market by introducing the first iPhone. Apple Inc. is growing day by day under the leading of Steve Jobs. Steve Jobss leading style that emphasizes perfection had produced iPhone series that is widely accepted by all market segment. Steve Jobs knew well about technology, market and art so he combined all together when thinking of new product. Engineers in Apple Inc. considered on the quality of the product rather only generates profit. Unlike other competitors, Apple Inc. does not simply come out with a product that is incomplete or dissatisfied. For example, competitors such as Samsung often come out with new products however its products always have problem. Apple Inc. concerns on environmental issue not only save the production costs while also build good image of corporate. Apple Inc. provides variety sources for consumers to solve their problem when they face any problem with the products. Free workshop and Genius Bar where geniuses can help customers to tro ubleshoot the problem of their Apple products. This will help consumers to understand better and know more advantages of Apples product. Challenges Apple Inc. faces challenge in Tim Cooks leadership. Since the way Tim Cook leads is different from Steve Jobs therefore employees need time to cope up with the new leading style. Steve Jobs emphasized perfect in production of products therefore employees are given pressure to maximize the perfection however Tim Cook is more flexible. This might cause the quality of Apples product to decrease. Technology is also a challenge for Apple Inc. Technology improvement is an uncertainty, no one will know when theres new technology will be invented. Apple Inc.s product is based on technology therefore if theres no technology advancement, Apple Inc. will not able to produce new product. Competitors are one of the major challenges faced by Apple Inc. Google new invention of operating system called Android had threatened Apple Inc.s iPhone Operating System. This is because Android can be used in various smartphones such as Samsung, HTC and Sony Ericsson but iOS can only be used in Apple Inc.s products. Android system and iOS system is quite similar, consumers whose purchasing power is low will choose to purchase other products this will eventually affect Apple Inc.s sales. Critique of Apple Inc. If you fail to plan then you plan to fail. Planning plays an important role in every organization and same goes to Apple Inc. The company gives employees the freedom to improve the product if they found any issues after they used product without approval needed. Planning has to accomplish with the companys mission. Apple Inc.s mission is to educate and build loyalty in customers. To achieve their mission, Apple Inc. conducts free workshops to people with different level of experience to know more about their new Apple products. Customers can learn basics of Mac, iPod, iPad or iPhone in the workshop. This will help to build customer loyalty however will consume a lot of time and might not work. Time is precious to the people nowadays therefore will people spend time to attend the free workshop? This is should be considered. Apple Inc. will not able to build customer loyalty if customers do not attend the workshop. Apple Inc. focuses on its own business rather than its competitors; thi s will help them produce a better product but too focus on its own business will cause them unable to compete with its competitors. Technology will improve day by day, if Apple Inc. only focuses on its business, the companys position as market leader will be taken by other competitors such as Samsung. Apple Inc. practices organic organization structure which will let the company to run more effectively. Employees are given freedom to improve the products when they found out any problem of the product, this will help the company to solve the products weakness faster. Yet this may also brings negative impact on company. Improvement done by employees does not require approval from top management, if the changes done by employees had made the product worst this will destroy companys reputation. For example, changes made on one of the apps had clash with another apps and cause the products certain function unable to function. Apple Inc. does not allow underage labor to participate in the production of their production but Apple Inc. unable to ensure that this will not happen. This is proven when Apple Inc.s largest contract manufacturer, Foxconn has acknowledged hiring labor who ranged in age from 14 to 16 in a Chinese factory. This is not against human rights while companys reputation will be affected as well. Apple Inc. is very successful under the leading of Steve Jobs however his leading is not perfect because no one is perfect. Steven Jobs emphasized simplification in creating its product however its product is still difficult to use especially for new user. Apples products dont come along with manual booklet therefore new user will find difficulty during their first time of using Apples products. This will cause users to switch to other brand due to inconvenience of the system. Besides, Jobs solution which is create iTunes store and iPod to reinventing access to music solved the problem of iMac that unable to burn CD however users cant transfer music to other devices. This became a weakness of Apples products. iPhone 5 s pre order is double from iPhone 4 because Apples user expecting a better version of iPhone however function of iPhone 5 didnt not change much where this disappointed the users and if iPhone 6 is introduced the pre order will drop where eventually will cause the sales to decrease too. Good controlling is required to manage a company. Without controlling, the company will close down any time. Steve Jobs named Tim Cook to replace his position as CEO of Apple Inc. after monitoring his performance, this will ensure the companys daily operation to go well. However, what will happen to Apple Inc. if Tim Cook resigns due to some reason? Who will be the next CEO of Apple Inc.? This will influence the companys market share. Apple Inc. should train few candidates that can take over the CEO position. Introduction of iOS 6 by Apple Inc. had problems with the Maps therefore the current CEO of Apple Inc., Tim Cook suggested others alternatives map apps that can be downloaded from Apps Store such as Bing and so on while the company is improving the maps. Tim Cooks suggestions help to solve customers problem however this also proved that their product can be replaced by others. Customers will not need to buy Apples product anymore since other product can replace it and Apples pro duct is much higher than the others. Conclusion Apple Inc. is a company that focuses on technology products. Steve Jobs was the important person who lead to the success of the company and currently replaced by Tim Cook. For Steve Jobs, the mission of Apple Inc. was his mission also. He planned to come out with extraordinary smart phone or technology gadget that will meet or doing better than the expectation of customers. Apple Inc. has organised well its resources to accomplish the goals of the company. If one of the resources fails to organise properly, Apple Inc. will not be so successful like today. Steve Jobs is a decision maker as he can make a correct decision that what product they should produce and what should not for their company products. After resignation of Steve Jobs, Timothy Cook has take over his position as new Chief Executive Officer. Timothy Cook is a person who can easily communicate and interact with his employees. This can make the employees work harder to the company. Managers of Apple Inc. always monitors the performance of the subordinates, provide backup plan to cope with uncertainty and evaluate how well Apple Inc. has achieved its mission. Tim Cook is able to take corrective action to overcome the problems that occur in Apples products. Managing an organization is a complex activities, effective manager must own many kind of skills, knowledge and ability. Management is an unpredictable activity. Making the right decision is difficult; even effective managers often take mistakes, but Steve Jobs learn from their mistakes and continually find way to increase companys performance. Planning, organizing, leading and controlling are essential parts of a managers job. Performing these four activities successfully is important for effective management. Management is very important for a successful company, Steve Jobss leading had proven this.

Medical Marijuana :: Medicine Drugs Essays

Medical Marijuana Marijuana has been hailed as a prescription for many ills and physicians once used it to stimulate appetite, relieve chronic pain, and treat asthma and migraines. But is marijuana really a medical miracle? If so, do its clinical benefits outweigh its drawbacks? Should we legalize marijuana? Is medical marijuana really worth the risks? These are the issues one needs to think about before making the decision to legalize marijuana. Marijuana is a drug that is derived from the dried and cut leaves of the hemp plant known as "cannabis sativa". Marijuana has a variety of street names such as "grass", "Mary Jane", "pot", "smoke", "reefer", "herb", and "weed". The active ingredient in marijuana is delta tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (3). . Marijuana has been used throughout history and in many different cultures to change mood, perception, and consciousness (to get "high"). Its effects range from increasing creativity to provoking mystical experiences, to heightening the capacity to feel, sense and share. After alcohol, it is the most popular of what are called "recreational drugs." It has been used around the world for other purposes. In some primitive tribes of South America, Africa, and India, "cannabis" is used in religious ceremonies and for medical purposes. African mine workers have used it to ease the drudgery of their work and many Jamaicans use it at the end of the day to relieve fatigue. It has been use d as an intoxicant in various parts of the world for centuries and in the United States, for the most part the 20th century. Marijuana was first described in print in a Chinese book of medicine, "Herbal," in the 2nd century B.C., and was used in China as an anesthetic 5,000 years ago. The ancient Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, and East Indians used the drug to control muscle spasms, reduce pain, and to treat indigestion. It was commonly used in folk medicines in Africa and Asia. As early as 1611, marijuana was cultivated for its fiber in Jamestown, Virginia. In 19th century America, marijuana was used by the medical profession for treating spastic conditions, headaches, labor pains, insomnia, and menstrual cramps. It is still used as a medicine in the Middle East and in Asia (9). The controversy dealing with marijuana stems from the legalization of the drug for medical use.

ICT History

There has been a general concern in the public about how ICT in the early years was like in terms of the facilitators that were being used by the people so that they could pass information as well as communicate with one another. The effects of these modes of communication such as delayed information and also possibilities in alteration of the message have all been central focus by the public so as to make a remarkable development in the areas where these modes of communication failed. People are geared to developing new technology that will fully replace the information and communicating technology that was used in the early days. The modern technology will see the production of very fast, effective, as well as reliable tools of communication such as telex, telephones, telegram as well as the internet. This are of is important to research on since the knowledge of information and communication is the backbone of technology. Human being are able to continue with life because they communicate to one another so that they can help reach solutions to problems. Business industry which is the chief sustainers of the economy of each country is only able to succeed through ensured constant flow of information. Delayed information in the early years led to so many effects on the people. For example, people could die on their way to medicine men just because of lack of good communication means that could be fast enough to reach these healers who some times could treat a person in his/her home area. The study is timely especially in the advent of stiff growth of information communication technology. The investigation into existence of information and communication technology in early years will provide crucial information and data to decision and policy makers who will in turn use the results to come up with new policies which will trigger the invention of new and fast as well as effective ways of communicating. 1. 3Limitations of the study. The study will be limited in that it shall draw a lot from existing data much of which may not be reliable. It also expected that lack of previous research in the field might also pose challenges to the researcher. In addition, there may be false information from some people who do not have any idea on the modes of communication that were used during the early years. This may lead to unreliable results and hence reluctance in settling for inventions and innovations of more advanced technology. Literature review. During the early days ICT was also used in various ways by the people. Agriculture was the first technology to be adopted by man followed by writing (Pemberton & Shurville 2000p. 56-67). Fire was very much used as a means of communication whereby it was so slow in passing the information to the targeted individuals or groups. Use of smoke, wild creatures like birds and also whistling were among the most used means of passing information. In addition, communication was very much essential among the people and it was affected by songs, dances as well as poetry where information was conveyed through how these activities were performed (Rahtz , 1987p. 1-20)). Drums were also used in passing information and they also facilitated the performance of dances. According to Watts, and Lloyd, (2004p. 103), all humans were hunters and gatherers. This provoked the existence of so many massagers who made the passage of information from one person to another quite easy since most of the people were mobile. People during these days relied so much on local technology like manufacturing of tools as well as weapons, cutting and digging tools such as axes and hoes since they relied heavily on agriculture. These tools were made from iron, bronze or copper metals since they were thought to be resistance to rusting. According to Chambers and Davies (2001p. 12-16)), ship technology was on rise and people used simple constructed ships to cross the oceans and communicate with people of different boundaries and countries. This required one to have knowledge about the currents in the ocean, star maps as well as weather patterns. The growth of early information and communication technology was facilitated by the remarkable revolution of agriculture, which enabled people to begin permanent settlements and stop migrations. Most people also stopped the hunting and gathering activities and settled for agriculture and this saw consolidated efforts in working to improve the Information and communication sector. These early modes of communication were very much unreliable since they were slow. For example, use of people as agents of passing information was very unreliable method because alterations of the content of the message was possible. The messages were also liable to failure to reach their destination or face a lot of mis-reporting. Early information and communication technology was generally poorly developed but as people continued evolving, information and communication technology as well began to expand since people began to do some inventions on this sector. People invest heavily on this area since they saw its importance and the impacts it had to their lives. Early information and communication technology had also many advantages to the people. Through ICT in the early days, people were able to convey important messages that helped them to understand one another other and also helped them to establish good relationships (Riley,1995p. 8-104). It is also through information and communication technology that people were able to learn for example through writing on stones which later developed to more satisfactory learning ways like writing on books. Writing materials also evolved in the same line, from metallic instruments that were used for writing on stones to pencils and biros that are even used in modern s ociety for writing on books. Information and communication in early days have been compared to today’s Information and communication technology and quite remarkable differences have been marked. The modern ICT is actually very appreciated for its satisfaction of people’s needs since it’s the modes of passing the information are very fast. No delays of message failures that may lead to adverse effects of the people. Methodology: The study will interview several individuals whose conducts and addresses will be obtained from the ICT office. A total of 50 randomly selected people will be interviewed. What makes this study unique is that the people who shall answer the survey will be drawn from various states using a randomized sampling approach. The researcher will utilize the survey method in which questionnaires and interviews will be used as data collection instruments. Analysis. Significance tests will be performed on all relationships and only those with statistical significance will be presented here. Qualitative data analysis will be involved and the data gathered in the data collection will be analyzed using statistical software called SPSS in order to arrive at findings. Conclusion. It is very important for people to know where to base their activities or innovations. It is only through this that people are able to know where to begin and what to aim at achieving. This research study will be successful only if the modes of communication that were used in the early days as well as their effects that they had to the people are known. It is through this knowledge that innovations and production of new modes of communication that are fast and effective enough, with more advantageous factors to the people will be invented. These modes are even thought to be more powerful than the telephones, telegrams, computers as well as the Internet. This will really be a tremendous improvement and technology advancement.

Mental Health Needs to be Taken More Seriously Professor Ramos Blog

Mental Health Needs to be Taken More Seriously Mental health issues are far from uncommon, and unfortunately tend to be neglected. Not only by the people surrounding those suffering, such as friends, family, and peers, but by themselves as well. It is estimated that around 20 to 25% of the American population lives with a mental illness, and according to one study, the success rate for those who seek treatment is outstanding. 80 to 90% of people with depression, one of the most common of mental illnesses, are able to be treated successfully with therapy or medication, or a combination of the two (WHO, 2016). So if this is the case, why do so many people decide to suffer in silence? And why does suicide take nearly 800,000 lives every year? This could be attributed to many different causes. Personal conflicts such as the fear of being seen as weak or one feeling as though they are hopeless, that they are past the point of being helped, are two very common ones. In addition, the stigma surrounding mental illness, although it has been steadily improving in recent years, is one of the greatest deterrents for those desperately in need of treatment. Not only that, but on average it can be very expensive to see a therapist or a psychiatrist, making professional help much less accessible to many people. Only around half of the population living with a mental health condition ever receives treatment, so what can we do to improve those numbers and increase the likelihood that those in need will seek out help? There is no simple answer, however, one thing each of us can do is to take steps to begin to destigmatize issues regarding mental health and their treatments. When we hear the phrase â€Å"mental illness†, it is likely that the first image to come to mind will be of a person with a diminished grasp on reality. Someone who might need intensive care and one who is possibly dangerous. This could be due to a number of things, including a negative media portrayal of mental illness and a lack of education on the matter. This is not only inaccurate, but extremely harmful because, the reality is, an estimated one in five US citizens (NIMH, 2017) are affected at some point in their lives. With those statistics, it is extremely likely that you know, and care about, someone who struggles with a mental illness on a daily basis, whether it’s a friend, family member, or even yourself. Just about everyone is connected to mental illness in some way, and it can be debilitating. Some sy mptoms common among these conditions include extreme fears and worries, mood changes, withdrawal, drug or alcohol abuse, inability to cope with stress, and suicidal thoughts or actions (Mental Illness, 2015). With some of the effects being so severe and such a large amount of the population having to experience them, it is vital that we take this issue seriously. TADS (The Treatment for Adolescents With Depression Study) found that the majority of the subjects who were treated for depression with a combination of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and medication saw significant improvement, helping support the theory that not only are these treatments useful, but by utilizing them, those with severe depression can greatly improve their symptoms in order to live a happier, more fulfilling life (March et al., 2007). But these benefits are not only limited to those with depression. There is also a great deal of evidence to suggest that they are extremely beneficial to the treatment of other mental health conditions including Generalized Anxiety Disorder, PTSD, and Bipolar Disorder (Psychotherapies, 2016). From this, we can conclude that the problem is likely not that successful treatments are not available, rather, that our society has caused us to be too ashamed to seek them. The destigmatization of mental illness has not been and will not be an easy fix, but it will greatly improve the mental health of the general population. One way we as individuals can begin to take steps in the right direction is to be more open about our personal struggles with mental health, as well as supporting others who open up. In addition, we can also push for more exposure in the form of better education on the matter. This would help to familiarize people on these issues from a young age, so that not only will they understand what to do if they themselves begin to struggle, but they will also be better equipped to help someone who is struggling. Media influence has also been shown to be successful in helping to destigmatize mental illness. SANE Australia, an organization intended to help those dealing with mental illness, has been educating journalists and fighting stigmatizing messages in media successfully for over thirty years (Rà ¼sch et al., 2005). One more recent ex ample though, would be social media’s role in destigmatizing mental illness. Overall, it has been observed that this form of connecting has allowed issues like these to become more normalized (Betton et al., 2018). If we continue this trend, we will see people becoming more empathetic to these extremely misunderstood conditions. With mental illness being such a prominent issue, not only does it need to be taken more seriously, but we also need to push for changes to how we deal with and interact with it fundamentally. Taking steps to erase the stigma surrounding mental health problems is absolutely essential to obtaining the ambitious goal of having a more mentally healthy society, not only in the US, but around the world. Because the less people are ashamed of seeking help, the more likely they are to go through with it, and in turn, improving their quality of life. Everyone deserves the chance to live a happy, healthy, and successful life. The treatments are out there, we just need to increase the likelihood that those in need of them will take advantage of those opportunities. It should not have to be as uncomfortable as it is for many, and as long as we keep treating mental health afflictions as something to be ashamed of, people will continue to avoid treatment. Betton, Victoria, et al. â€Å"The Role of Social Media in Reducing Stigma and Discrimination | The British Journal of Psychiatry.†Cambridge Core, Cambridge University Press, 2 Jan. 2018, cambridge.org/core/journals/the-british-journal-of-psychiatry/article/role-of-social-media-in-reducing-stigma-and-discrimination/13C35DB424523B4210530288561CE615. â€Å"GHO | World Health Statistics Data Visualizations Dashboard | Suicide.†World Health Organization, World Health Organization, apps.who.int/gho/data/node.sdg.3-4-viz-2?lang=en. Gulliver, Amelia, et al. â€Å"Perceived Barriers and Facilitators to Mental Health Help-Seeking in Young People: a Systematic Review.†BMC Psychiatry, BioMed Central, 30 Dec. 2010, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3022639/. March, John S, et al. â€Å"The Treatment for Adolescents With Depression Study (TADS): Long-Term Effectiveness and Safety Outcomes.†Archives of General Psychiatry, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Oct. 2007, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17909125. â€Å"Mental Illness.†National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness.shtml. â€Å"Mental Illness Stigma: Concepts, Consequences, and Initiatives to Reduce Stigma.†European Psychiatry, Elsevier Masson, 19 Sept. 2005, sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924933805000908. â€Å"Psychotherapies.† National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/psychotherapies/index.shtml.